Cold, Hard Facts
by YunCyn
Summary: Tifa must face some truths.  CloTi


**Cold, Hard Facts**

FF7ACC and all affiliations to the movie/game (c) Square-Enix.

* * *

Facts had to be faced, Tifa told herself sternly as she washed glasses in the sink that day, and they were these.

Cloud wasn't romantic. No one who knew him could say otherwise with a straight face and a clean conscience. He wasn't a one-dozen-roses-and-heart-shaped-box-of-candy type of guy. He certainly wasn't the type to remember some newly-established holiday the people of Edge had jumped at the chance to celebrate (thus boosting the town's economy with an increased trade in chocolate, baking goods and other miscellaneous – mostly shiny – trinkets that had popped up).

However, while Cloud wasn't romantic, he _cared_ about her. Just as importantly, he cared about _them_, about their new relationship. Tifa saw it in his face, when he happened to catch her eye and gave her that smile of his, the one Marlene said he never gave anyone else; she caught it in his voice when he announced his return every evening and she welcomed him home just as soon as he said it. For Gaia's sake, _he_ kissed her goodbye this morning. Usually, Tifa was the one who snuck in a peck on the cheek first before he left. Considering whom he had been and who he was now, she knew he was trying his best, for both their sakes.

Besides, thought Tifa wryly, she just _knew_ that if he came in, bursting out in song about undying love and vows of eternal fidelity, she would immediately punch him in the face, thinking he was an impostor. Then call for medical help when she realised he wasn't.

Now that facts were faced, here was the point: this sudden, silly wistfulness about him not mentioning a thing about Sweethearts Day had to cease and desist _immediately. _

Why? Well, because when she really thought about it, it was _ridiculous_. He didn't have to do something just because two years ago, someone had decided it'd be Sweethearts Day every 21st May. Honestly, it was probably just someone's idea to sell more stuff than usual and that was hardly romantic. Even if she'd planned to make that eggplant and chicken dish that he really liked for dinner tonight, let it be one of those just-because type of occasions. That was just as nice and no less meaningful.

She _knew_ this. There should and would be no more nonsense.

With one last glare in the mirror, Tifa put the whole thing out of her mind.

At least, she tried to. To her credit though, even when the thought came bouncing back throughout the afternoon as she tended the bar, bantered with the children, and _especially_ while she seasoned the meat and chopped eggplants, she managed to fend it off rather well. Having dinner with the kids helped, as did cleaning up the bar area while they wrestled with their homework.

Eventually, Denzel's voice carried through into the storeroom where she was putting supplies in order. "Cloud's home!"

She didn't rush her packing, involuntarily smiling as she pictured the scene outside. The minute he stepped through the door, Marlene and Denzel always called out, sometimes in unison, _"Okaeri!"_

And Cloud would go towards them and ruffle the hair on both their heads, a light in his eyes (sometimes a fond smile on his lips since it was still Cloud), and return their greeting. "_Tadaima."_

She dusted off her hands and went out to welcome him home. As soon as she stepped out into the bar area, he looked up at her and smiled. In that moment, it was as if a warm, golden wave swept through her heart.

Her facts hadn't been wrong. He cared. It was there for those who had eyes to see. Thankfully, Tifa had learnt to look out for those signs.

"_Tadaima_," he said.

"_Okaeri."_ She took a few steps closer. "I'll get dinner for you."

As she warmed up his meal, Cloud went to put his stuff away upstairs, Denzel and Marlene abandoning their schoolwork to be nosy (Marlene's words) about his day's work. Tifa could only imagine what they were asking him as she put a plate of food at his usual table, along with a glass of water.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Rice with eggplant and chicken toni- Mm? Where'd those two go?"

Cloud came closer, stopped near the table. "I asked them to give me five minutes."

"Five minutes? For what?"

He fidgeted (which he rarely did) for a minute, left hand rubbing the back of his head combined with an odd look on his face. Then he looked away to the bar counter as he said, "To give you your present."

She stared at him. "My wha?"

In answer, Cloud pulled out his right hand that he'd stuffed in his pocket ever since he came downstairs. In his palm sat a grey box which, with some measure of nervousness, he opened up and held out towards her.

Taking the box gently, Tifa stared at a pair of silver earrings, in the shape of stylized Chocobo silhouettes. She absorbed this sight before looking up at Cloud, eyes wider than before.

He looked back, the nervousness becoming more evident in his face. There was more silence and he shifted his weight, wondering if he'd made a mistake. "…I could exchange it, if you don't like it. The shop owner said-"

Whatever the shop owner may have said, no one found out. Tifa had flung her arms around Cloud's neck, nearly knocking him to the ground. (Though she had had the presence of mind to put the box on the table before she did so).

As she clung to him, Cloud managed to hear her saying, "I thought…"

He tightened his hold, nestling his head against hers. "…what?" he asked quietly.

"I thought you didn't remember," she confessed.

Cloud didn't answer for a moment. Then he pulled away slowly to look at her, in some confusion. "What do you mean?"

Face tinged pink with pleasure and embarrassment, Tifa returned the confused expression. "Sweethearts Day. I thought you didn't remember…" The fractional widening of Cloud's eyes told her everything. "You didn't. But then, the present…?"

Cloud bit down on the curse that threatened to escape him. Sweethearts Day. He'd _forgotten_. He'd meant to remember, since it seemed like something Tifa might like, but in the middle of work and routine, he'd… forgot.

Which explained why he couldn't meet her eyes as he explained, "I saw the earrings and I thought you'd like them. I didn't think about Sweethearts Day." He struggled for ten seconds before wrenching his eyes back to her face, apologetic. "I'm sorry."

Tifa just continued looking at him, processing a few facts.

He'd bought them because he thought she'd like them. He hadn't bought it for a special day. He'd seen the earrings, had thought of her and decided to buy them for her. Just because.

"…I was wrong."

He looked back at her questioningly, some relief that she wasn't upset about his memory loss. "About what?"

She gave him a smile that lit up her face. "You."

Cloud just looked at her in bewildered silence, though this was partly his own distraction at how much he felt like kissing her when she smiled like that.

The smile got impossibly brighter. "You _are _a romantic."

He stared at her, still uncomprehending, for exactly four seconds. Then, deciding that it didn't matter, he gave into his impulses and leaned forward. Abrupt as the meeting of their lips was, the sensation melted into softness, warmth and ultimately, the kind of kiss they gave each other when they were very much alone and had some time together.

So it was only natural why, after they eventually drew apart, bright-eyed and flushed-faced, they jumped to find both Denzel and Marlene sitting on the stairs, one watching with some disgust, the other giggling.

"I thought you were giving him five minutes…!" said Tifa in a tone about half an octave higher than her normal voice, face crimson enough to rival the ripest apples.

"We waited _ten_ minutes," announced Denzel wryly. "Coz it's you two."

"Then we came downstairs," chirped Marlene helpfully.

Cloud shook his head at his wards as he reluctantly let go of Tifa and sat down to finally eat his dinner. Relieved that that rather disturbing mushy moment was over, Denzel went back to his homework at the same table. At Marlene's urging, Tifa put on her new earrings. The effect had everyone's approval.

Above the children's voices debating what kind of earrings they would or wouldn't get in the future (Denzel was determined to have a single wolf one just as Cloud did), Cloud's blue eyes met Tifa's brown ones. A look of happiness, and possibly a promise to continue what they'd started earlier, passed between them before he turned back to his food.

Tifa smiled, fingering the cool silver adorning her ears. Some facts, it happily seemed, were not quite as inflexible as she'd thought.

.

_End__._


End file.
